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Wednesday, 3 October 2012

Governor
of the State of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has said that true fiscal
federalism remains the only panacea to the nation’s multi-faceted
socio-political problems.

This
was contained in his anniversary message as the nation celebrates its 52 years
of independence.

Aregbesola,
in the message signed by the Director, Bureau of Communications and Strategy,
Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, said the irreducible minimum is for the nation to operate
a true federal structure, which is the long-lasting solution to the nation’s
protracted problems.

He
stated that a situation in which constitutional provisions are ignored in high
administrative offices could only engender injustices and conflicts, which are
unnecessary but occasioned by flagrant disrespect for the laws of the land.

Besides,
Aregbesola observed that there is need for more powers to devolve from the
centre; hence a review of some sections of the constitution to pave way for
true federalism.

He
cited section 7 (1) of 1999 constitution, which expressly states that it is the
duty of the state government, subject to Section 8(3), (5) and (6)), to ensure
the existence of the local government councils under the law, thus providing
for the establishment, structure, composition, finance and functions of such
councils.

He
averred that this power to create is not an absolute one the moment it is
subject to an Act of National Assembly amending Section 3 and Part 1 of the
First Schedule of the Constitution, failing which any new local government area
created by any state government remains inchoate and not properly constituted.

“This
is a classic example of constitutional anomaly, where a provision confers
rights on the one hand and a subsequent one takes it away with whim in another
moment. The provisions thus vest the creation of new local governments in both
state and Federal Government, where both are expected to exercise separate but
complementary roles in order to bring a local government into existence.

“Such
contradictions have made it impossible for states to singlehandedly create
local more local governments. This is certainly incongruous and antithetical to
the spirit and letter of federal constitution,” Aregbesola said.

The
Governor noted that security challenges, infrastructure decay, weak national
institutions are all products of what he described as a bogus system and
concentration of power at the centre.

He
advised that a comprehensive legal framework be put in place by the National
Assembly so as to ensure political stability and uniformity in all tiers of
government throughout the federation.

He
noted that for the country to realize its full potential, there must be
recourse to the practice of true federalism without which no meaningful
progress could be made economically, socially or politically.